Macedonia Update February 2026

Hi everyone, thank you for reading our first update of 2026!

Christingle Service

In December we held what is now becoming an annual event, our carol service. We invited everyone who attends our bible study groups, some neighbours and some other members of our church to join us to celebrate Jesus together. Our apartment was packed!

This year we used the Christingle to explain how Jesus is the light of the world and that he died for our sin. If you are not familiar with the Christingle, as most of our guests weren’t, it is a tradition which dates back to a Moravian Christmas service in 1747. It is an orange (representing the world) with a red ribbon wrapped around it (representing the blood of Christ) and a candle in the top (Jesus is the Light of the World). There is also dried fruit, skewered on cocktail sticks, which symbolises the good gifts God gives and the call on our lives for fruitfulness. 

We invited our guests to make a Christingle and then we sang some traditional Christmas carols. Miraculously we got through it without burning down our flat! We also held a bring and share meal afterwards. People were so generous with the food that we ended up with more food after the evening than we had provided ourselves in the first place! It was a very special time where we were able to gather many of those we have been journeying with over the past year, to worship and pray together and celebrate Jesus.

Bible Studies

Recently it has been such a blessing to reflect upon how people have grown through our Bible study groups. Participants are taking on leadership roles and it feels like we are growing together. Currently we are working through a series of scriptures about sharing our faith with others, as we seek to empower people in missional living. 

With the children we are looking at the ‘signs’ in the Gospel of John. As well as some of the miracles of Jesus such as how he turned water into wine, opened the eyes of the blind man and fed 5000, we are basing each session on John 20:30-31, 

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31.

We are exploring how Jesus wasn’t simply performing great miracles to benefit those in need, but he was using them to bring a message and demonstrate that he is the Messiah. Later this month we will finish the series by examining Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus in John 3 and how we must believe in him and be born again. 

Prayer:

Thank you to all of you who pray for us. Please pray for:

• Please give thanks for the Carol service.
• Every winter we have a smog problem in Skopje. Please pray for good health at this time. We are thankful that although it is bad, this year it has been better than previous winters.
• The Capernaum children’s ministry re-starts this month after a winter break, please pray for fruitfulness as Katie and Kristen support this work in the school for visually impaired children.
• We are in discussions with some UK churches who would like to bring teams out during this year. Please pray for the right people to be on those teams and for the planning process both for us and for the church leaders.
• Please pray for our visa & residency renewal. We are in the process of reapplying for permission to stay here!

As always, thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Ian, Katie, Kristen and Josiah.